Caught in the Act (Independence Falls 2)

“When I think about you,” she said softly, leaning closer, “I don’t envision friendly dinners in crowded places. You were always an orgasm-first, talk-second kind of guy.”

He raised an eyebrow as he set his burger down and wiped his mouth. “Maybe I’m turning over a new leaf.”

“What if I liked the bad boy who spent his days working with his hands in the woods, and his nights getting down and dirty under the stars?”

Heat flared in his eyes. That look promised wicked things. “I haven’t changed that much. But I’d like to wine and dine you first. And talk.”

“About?”

“Whatever you want.”

“And then?” she challenged.

“You want me to spell it out?” His voice was a low rumble.

She nodded and her pulse sped up. Her body was hovering precariously close to needing things from him. Naughty touches, stolen kisses, and so much more, as if it hadn’t gotten the memo that this was an act, a show put on to trick Liam.

“Do you see that cabin over there?” Liam leaned back in his chair and pointed at the lake.

She glanced over her shoulder. “Which one?”

“You might need to come over here for a better view.” He pushed back from the table and patted his lap.

“I’ve seen a cabin before, Liam.”

“Humor me.”

Katie rose and moved to his side of the wooden table. Bending over, she offered him a view down her tank top. Liam took the bait and stared, his jaw tightening. While she’d grown wiser since the last time he had stolen a peek down her shirt, her breasts hadn’t changed one bit. She’d always been on the small side. But back then, he’d labeled them perfect and given her every reason to believe him.

Without warning, he looped an arm around her waist, drawing her down to his lap. The hard ridge of his erection pressed against her bottom.

She shifted her hips, rocking against him, letting him know she hadn’t missed the evidence that he was turned on. “I get the feeling you’d rather be somewhere else,” she murmured.

“We’ll get there.” His lips brushed her ear as he spoke, keeping his voice low. “And when we do . . .”

He nipped her ear and Katie closed her eyes, feeling his palm flat against her belly. “I promise to take my shirt off for you.”

His thumb brushed the underside of her bra. Her breasts would barely fill his hands. She knew that for a fact. But every inch of skin covered by her lace underwear was super sensitive. She bit back a long, low moan, knowing that if he touched her again, even through the barrier of her clothes, she wouldn’t be able to keep quiet.

“What next?” she demanded, opening her eyes and focusing on his words. “After you take off your shirt?”

He let out a low chuckle. “How about I start before I undress?”

“No.” She ran her hand up his leg, wanting to touch him anywhere she could reach from her forward-facing position on his lap.

“Oh yes, honey.” His free hand captured her wrist, holding tight, preventing her from wandering and exploring.

“First, I’d strip off your clothes,” he continued, his voice a low growl. “I’m dying to see every inch of you. Touch you. Taste you. And make you scream. I want to hear my name on your lips over and over.”

“Liam,” she gasped. The way he held, preventing her from touching him, pushed against the limits of her self-control.

“And I bet that cabin over there has a bed,” he continued. “Some of my wildest fantasies involve lying you down on top of soft sheets, licking you from head to toe.”

“Fantasies?” she repeated. That one word pulled her out of the teasing game. Her reasons for saying yes to dinner had every

thing to do with the deal to buy her family’s company. And his? She’d suspected he was targeting her as a way to get to her brothers, mistakenly believing she was the weakest link, a way to learn more about pending contracts and unsigned deals. But if he’d been dreaming about her . . .

He released her wrist and his hand captured hers, interlacing their fingers. “This time,” he whispered, “I’ll be soft and sweet.”